


Mapped

by WolfRyder



Category: Control - Fandom, Death - Fandom, Dystopian - Fandom, Freedom - Fandom, Future - Fandom, Love - Fandom, Original Work
Genre: Control, Death, Deception, F/M, Freedom, Future, Love, life - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-01-24
Updated: 2013-02-09
Packaged: 2017-11-26 18:24:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/653117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WolfRyder/pseuds/WolfRyder
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ava Jackson's 18th birthday has just arrived. But with that comes the future, her mapping day has arrived where she is revealed what her entire life will be like. Who she marries, where she will live, what job she will acquire, when and how many children she will have, and when she will pass away. The world she lives in isn't what it use to be, there is no freedom for freedom will come a price is she willing to risk everything she has to have the choice in her life or will she continue on with the flow and let the government map out their lives?</p><p>Come along for the journey as Ava experiences hardship, love and death as she decides what she wants to do with her life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Final Hours

The fire hover rushes down our block to kill yet another fire. I lie on my bed running my fingers through my hair as shrills of the fire hover coming to a stop. I pull out of my bed and walk over to my broken window; a chill breaks through the crack of the seal sending vibes through my body. 

“Ava, Ava, Ava are you up?” Julie says loudly banging on my door. “Ava, you best be getting ready its almost time for your mapping.”

The mapping, how could I ever forget about the mapping? The day you turn eighteen years old you find out what the government has in store for your life. Three years ago my brother Jeffery had his mapping, he was paired with a girl named Jenny Jefferson. They now have two kids, Emma and Eric; they live in the middle division a step up from our lower division. He is a teacher teaching English and she is working on the train that runs through the upper division all the way down to the lower.

“Ava! Are you not up yet? You have to hurry! You need to get ready for the mapping! Now get up and get into the shower before I make you!” Mother yells out banging on my door. I let out a heavy sigh walk across my room and swing open my door. My mother stands there with her hands on her hips and smiles widely at me. “Well good morning, breakfast will be ready by the time you get out of the shower.”

“Morning, I’ll be out shortly,” I reply as I turn away from her and walk to the bathroom. I push open the door as it creaks colliding against the wall, I take a step inside and close the door and place a chair in front of it to keep it locked. I look into the broken mirror on the wall and press my hair out of my face. “Well, here’s to my last day in this household.” A single tear runs down my face at the thought of me living anywhere else but here. Not knowing if I will live in the same division or if I’d be moved somewhere else. It was not that long ago where I couldn’t wait to find out what my mapping was going to reveal, but now that it is here, I wish it would go away.

After one last look at myself I peel off my clothes and climb into the shower. The water is freezing cold but my body adjusts to it. I run my hands through my hair and rub my hands on the bar of soap and run it through my hair to get it clean. We can’t afford luxuries of shampoo or conditioner even hot water is too expensive for us, it’s not an essential so we spend our money where it needs to go. I rinse the soap out of my hair and run it across my body then climb out of the shower and wrap a towel around me. I dry myself off, dash out the bathroom into my room. I rush to put on clean clothes and warm myself up before it gets any colder. I slide open a dresser and pull out a clean bra and underwear, I then go to my bed to see a red dress laying on my bed. I pick it up and exam it knowing that it does not belong to me; mother must have left it here while I went to take a shower. I slide my underwear and bra on the slide the dress on, it hugs my body and shows off a lot of skin. A soft knock rings from my door. I walk over to the door and open it to see mother standing there with a smile on her face.

“Well don’t you look beautiful Ava, you bring tears to my eyes,” she says advancing into my room. 

“It’s not such a big deal,” I explain.

“Yes it is it’s your mapping. Today is the day you are no longer my baby, I’m loosing all my children,” she says sniffing away a tear.

“You still have Julie she’s got about another twelve years until she will have her mapping,” I state.

“Yes, but I have already lost your brother, your father and now you. This house is going to seem empty once you leave today,” she explains. Father was only allowed to live until the age of thirty-five, we all knew it was coming, but it was still a surprise when one day he never came home from working the boats. They said he drowned out in the ocean fishing for shrimp they never were able to find his body, but I think he is still out there, waiting for his chance to come back and take us away from here.

“Well come visit,” I reply. She takes a step towards me and pushes away a strand of hair.

“I’m not afraid of you not coming to visit, I’m just afraid,” she says.

“Afraid of what?” I ask. She kisses me on the top of my head then turns away from me.

“Don’t worry about that right now, right now you just have to worry about getting ready for your mapping. You have to be down there an a hour, you best hurry my love, oh and breakfast is ready,” she says.

“I’ll be out in a few minutes,” I reply. She walks out of my room and into the hallway towards the kitchen. I sit on my bed and look down at my hands as if they did not belong to anyone that I know. My hands begin to shake at the thought of going into the mapping alone and starting my life as soon as it is over terrifies me. Does everyone feel this way before there mapping, or are they all just super excited that there life begins that they don’t know how they feel. 

After minutes of staring at my hands I get up from my bed and walk back into the bathroom and look at my hair. My waves have started to appear as it dries, I run my hand through my hair to get the tangles out, the red dress I wear dulls down my strawberry blonde hair but also makes my green eyes pop. With one last look of myself in the mirror I let out a sigh the walk out of the bathroom and into the kitchen where mother and Julie sit eating breakfast. Julie looks up jumps out of her chair and runs over to me giving me a hug.

“Ava you look beautiful,” she says pressing her head into my stomach.

“Why thank you Julie,” I reply. She pulls away taking her seat back at the table. I join her sitting beside her, I look across the table to see father’s chair empty followed by Jeffery’s.

“Today is no day about being sad, joy that is what today is all about,” Mother says.

“But you were sad earlier,” I state.

“That’s different, I’m your mother I have a right to be sad, I’m losing my baby,” she says.

“I’ll miss you to mom,” I say with a small smile on my face. I take my fork and begin to eat what is on my plate, eggs, toast a little bit of ham. Not much but enough to make me feel full. Julie and Mother finish their food and excuse themselves from the table, I continue to eat when I hear a light knock on the front door. Mother opens the door and I hear to child squeals and two older adults. Emma and Eric come running in through the hallway and to my side.

“Auntie A, is today your birthday?” They ask simultaneously. Emma and Eric are two years old, they both have brown hair and brown eyes, they are fraternal twins but if it weren’t for one having long hair and the other short, they’d look identical.

“Yes, today is my birthday,” I say with a smile. I push away my dish and grab both of them placing them onto my lap.

“Papa says you have your mapping today, are you excite?” Emma asks.

“As excited as I’ll ever be,” I reply.

“Auntie A, will you read us one of your famous stories before you leave?” Eric asks.

“I’m sorry guys, but I don’t have the time right now. Maybe another day,” I explain.

“Please?” They ask.

“Now kids, don’t be bothering your Aunt Ava, she has a busy day and doesn’t need any more pressure from you to,” a soft voice says. I turn to see Jenny standing in the hallway. She has short brown hair that rests above her ear with piercing hazel eyes that are mixed between blue and green, she has a piercing on her nose and wears a fitted shirt and jeans that show off her sandglass body. “Kids go find your father, I want a word with your aunt.” 

“Bye Auntie A,” they say simultaneously jumping off my lap and into the living room. Jenny crosses the room and takes a seat next to me.

“How are you feeling?” she asks.

“Pretty nervous, I don’t know whether I should feel excited or be dreading this very moment. How did you feel on your mapping?” I ask. She pushes back into her chair and crosses her legs.

“I was nervous, I wanted to runaway and never return. But as I approached the Center my legs felt like rubber, I thought any second I was going to melt away into the asphalt. That all changed when the mapping begun and when I saw my life laid out for me like that and your brother all my butterflies went away and I knew I wanted this life. I wanted what they saw was fit for me. I can’t imagine my life any other way, my life may not be perfect, but it’s as perfect as it will ever be,” she explains to me. “Don’t be nervous is will all be over and you will be as happy as I am.”

“As we our,” Jeffery says stepping through the hallway. He stands about six feet with short brown hair and a beard on his face. It’s been months since I have seen him; I jump from the table and rush over to him wrapping my arms around his waist. “Well I missed you too Ava.”

“How are you Jeffery?” I ask.

“I’m good, works good, you look beautiful little sis. Are you almost ready?” he asks.

“Ready for what?” I ask.

“For your presents duh,” he says.

“I told you, I didn’t want any presents. I am not a child no more,” I explain.

“You don’t have to be a child to receive presents. Besides its your birthday and you deserve to have a gift. Lets go into the living room and you can open them before you leave,” he says.

“I don’t want to go to the mapping,” I state.

“You may not want to go, but you have to go. If you are not there at your assigned time they will send someone to retrieve you and you don’t want to be one of those who goes involuntary. You’ve seen what happens to those people, they end up crazy and get locked away from the rest of the world. Don’t be one of those people, just march on down to the Center and get it over with. If you’re lucky you won’t be married any time soon, you will get matched with someone who isn’t even eighteen yet and when that happens you will begin your life and move into your house without that person. Then when they turn eighteen you will get married,” he explains.

“Or they could be over eighteen already, and I have to get married suddenly,” I explain.

“Ava, marriage isn’t a bad thing. Just don’t be one of those crazies and just go open your gifts,” he says.

“Yeah Ava, lets go open your gifts,” Jenny says. She walks past us disappearing into the living room. Jeffery gives me one last tight squeeze pulls away wraps an arm around my shoulder guiding me into the living room. Everyone is gathered when Jeffery and I arrive, mother rushes over and presses a box into my hand.

“Now don’t think of it as a gift, its more of a family heirloom,” she says. I pull away from Jeffery taking a seat on our blue and yellow couch. My body sinks into the broken couch, I unwrap the box and open it up. Inside the box lies a tattered blanket. “This was your old baby blanket, give it to your children.”

“Mom, why don’t you give this to them?” I ask.

“Because it should be given to them by their mother. I want you to hold on to this for me, and for your children,” she explains.

“What are you saying?” I ask.

“I’m just saying to hold on to it for me. Now why don’t you open your brother and Jenny’s gift,” she says. Jenny walks over to me and hands me a silver envelope.

“Happy birthday little sister,” Jeffery says. I smile at them taking the envelope from her grasp. I peel it open and slide out a heart shaped necklace.

“To remind you that no matter where you are, you have family that loves you,” Jenny says. I get up from the couch and hug both of them. Jenny helps place the necklace around my neck, the cold metal touches my skin sending a slight chill up my body.

“Thank you guys, this means a lot to me,” I reply.

“Your welcome Ava,” Jenny says.

“Ava, its time for you to go,” mother says to me.

“Are you sure?” I ask.

“Yes, your mapping is at nine-thirty-five and it is nine o’clock. It will take you twenty minutes to walk there so you best leave now,” she explains.

“I guess I should be going then,” I state. Julie comes over and gives me a giant hug, followed along with Emma and Eric, then Jenny, Jeffery then finally mother.

“We love you and we will see you soon,” mother says. I take one last look then walk towards the front door, my hand lingers on the doorknob as my families eyes burn into the back of my skull. I’m walking out of here a child and coming back one day as a woman. My life has ended just for another to begin, once I step foot through this door everything will change and there is no turning back. With one last look at my family I swing open the front door and step into my new life that awaits for me.

The streets are empty with not a living soul roaming around. I wrap my arms around myself to keep my warm as I walk towards the center. All the houses around me are falling apart, the roofs are collapsing, windows falling down not to mention the electrical hazards that occur on a daily basis. I pass underneath the underpass of the train tracks; I step over some of the rumble that falls every time the train passes over, which is rarely. The train only runs when someone moves from the lower division to upper or vice versa, which is rare. 

I look to my left to see a couple standing over a trashcan with a lit fire trying to keep warm. They glance my way and give me a slight nod as if they know my entire life story. I give them a nod back and continue on my merry way. Stores come into sight kids sitting outside as they try and beg for food from the keepers. I try not to notice the divisonless person following behind me; I know he wants to mug me since I look like I do not belong here. After a few minutes the divisonless man decides I am not worth his time and disappears.

I turn onto Mayberry Street and see the Center come into sight. A large white building that stands higher then any other in the lower division. The street I walk on will take me directly to the front door and to my new life. I hear a voice calling after me, I turn to see a girl not just any girl but my best friend. Melinda Housegetter, today is her eighteenth birthday also.

“Ava! How are you?” She asks. I slow down my pace and let her catch up to me.

“I’m good Mel, how about yourself?” I ask.

“Good, excited right now. Man you look gorgeous, I wish I had a dress like that instead I’m stuck wearing this ghastly dress my mother picked out for me,” she says. I look at her to see that she is wearing a purple and yellow dress with lace around the bottom and neckline, but other than that she looks beautiful. She has green eyes that I would die for and long blonde hair that seems to flow forever.

“It’s a nice dress,” I lie.

“Come on Ava, don’t tell me you would wear this dress?” she asks.

“Okay, maybe you’re right. I wouldn’t pick that dress out of a line up. Its pretty ugly,” I confess.

“Good. Can I tell you something?” She asks.

“Of course, we are best friends you can tell me anything,” I explain.

“I’m a little nervous about today, about the mapping. I don’t know why I am so nervous, I remember when you and me were little kids and we would play mapping day. But now that it is our mapping, I wish it would go away,” she explains.

“I remember that day, I matched you with Cody Jolin, and I placed you in the middle division with two children and you went to college and then you had a career as a history teacher in the middle division,” I explain.

“Ah yes, Cody Jolin he is such a looker to bad he’s matched with Betty Colins, she really was an ugly girl,” she says.

“She may be ugly, but she was a really nice girl,” I reply.

“Do you think we will get matched with someone we know?” she asks.

“I don’t know, no one knows how these mappings work,” I explain.

“We better hurry up, don’t want to be late for the mapping,” she says.


	2. Chapter 2:The Center

The Center doors come into view and Melinda and I look at each other before we march into the Center for are mapping. My fingers brush against the white door my hands are completely dirty to this color I feel as if I push open the door I will ruin its cleanliness. Melinda and I push through the door in unison and into the brilliant light of the Center. The Center lobby is large with signs pointing in directions for each section; Melinda and I walk to a sign and find the room and floor for the mapping.

“Floor 4,” she says. We walk to the elevator and press the up button. We wait for the elevator to reach the bottom floor in silences, the elevator dings and the door opens. We wait for people to step out before we step through the door closes in front of us.

“Please direct to what floor you’d like to accompany,” a voice says. I look for a number panel for fail to see any. “Please direct to what floor you’d like to accompany.”

“Fourth Floor please,” Melinda says. The elevator jolts to life as we begin to ascend floors, I hold onto the wall for support as we continue to climb. “Don’t like elevators I take it?”

“No, I hate not being able to see where I am at,” I reply.

“We’re almost there, just one more—“

“You have arrived at your destination, please step off in orderly fashion,” the voice says. I step through as soon as the doors open Melinda follows after me.

“Welcome to the Mapping floor, please go to the front desk to check in and we will accompany you shortly. Because your future matters to us,” another voice says. Melinda and I look up to see no one around. We reach for each other’s hand and walk to the nearest desk. A woman with short blonde hair appears in the empty chair.

“Hello and welcome to the Mapping floor, where your future matters. Please state me your names so I can check you in,” the woman says. Her body flickers and twitches, Melinda and I look to each other raising an eyebrow. She has to be a hologram. “Please your names?”

“Ava Jackson,” I say.

“Ava Jackson, your mapping time is to be at ten o’clock, we will be with you shortly. Please have a seat in the waiting room and someone will come to escort you to your room,” she says.

“But I was told it was at nine-thirty-five,” I state.

“Yes, that is the time for you to be here, now please go wait in the waiting room,” she says firmly. Her body twitches again, but she smiles widely at us as if nothing matters. “And your name?”

“Melinda Housegetter,” Melinda says.

“Melinda Housegetter, your mapping time is at ten-fifteen, we will be with you shortly. Please have a seat in the waiting room and someone will come to escort you to your room,” she says. Melinda and I nod and turn towards the waiting room and take a seat. The woman behind the counter disappears in a blink of an eye.

“Now that is just creepy,” I state.

“You’re telling me,” she agrees.

“Welcome to the Mapping floor, please go to the front desk to check in and we will accompany you shortly. Because your future matters to us,” the voice repeats. I look to the elevator and see two boys walking out of the elevator and to the front desk; the woman reappears and talks to the boys.

“Hey they’re cute!” Melinda says.

“Girl, you are about to find out who your husband is going to be and you’re checking out guys?” I ask.

“So, one of them could be my matched, you never know Ava. Lighten up,” she says. 

“I know but still we are here to get our mapping and you’re checking out guys. We lost that right today,” I explain.

“I just want one last gander before we find out our lives you know. I just want to think of what could have been instead of what is,” she explains.

“Fine I get it, I understand but I’m not going along with it,” I state.

“Okay, I will just gaze all I want until I get my mapping. Once that happens I will no longer look and wonder what could have been. Instead I will begin to wonder what life will be like once the mapping is displayed. Okay is that good enough for you?” she asks.

“That is all I as Mel,” I say. She smiles at me then crosses her legs and stares into space as we a wait for our names to be called.

“Do you think we will still be friends?” she asks.

“Why do you ask such silly questions?” I ask her.

“It’s not a silly question, it’s just the truth. I mean, after today we will get placed in different divisions most likely, we may never see each other again. I don’t want to lose my best friend,” she explains.

“That won’t happen. We might get placed in different divisions, shoot one of us can be placed on the moon and we still would be friends,” I reply.

“You can say that all you want, but I know the truth and I have a feeling we will stop being friends. It’s what always happens,” she says.

 

“Just trust me Mel, we will always be friends,” I say firmly. She looks at me and places her hand onto my shoulder.

“Forever?” she asks.

“And always,” I reply. Two more people step through the elevator followed by the women announcing their arrival. Two boys come and sit in front of us and lean in and look at us. One boy has shaggy blonde hair, brown eyes, a mole under his bottom lip and a lazy eye. The other boy has short red hair and blue eyes and dimples on his cheek

“Hey there, my name is Kolins and this here is Hunt,” Kolins says. Kolins is the one with the lazy eye and mole, not a very attractive guy.

“Nice to meet you Kolins and Hunt, my name is Melinda and this here is Ava,” Melinda says.

“Well Ava don’t you look gorgeous,” Hunt says.

“Why thank you,” I reply.

“I hope I’m matched with you. You’d make me some fine children,” Kolins says.

“And I feel sorry for whoever your wife will be. Because well you are not very good looking and I wonder how your children will look,” I reply

“Burn!” Melinda says looking at Kolins, “Would you like some ice for that?”

“Excuse me?” He asks.

“You heard me, I’m sorry if I am being forward but I am just saying the truth,” I state. Kolins gets up and walks towards me, he places his face inches away from mine, I hear his lips part as he opens his mouth to say something.

“Ava Jackson?” A man says. I push Kolins away from me and stand up. “Ava Jackson.”

“Good luck Ava,” Melinda says. I give her a smile then walk to the man who stands waiting for me. His body flickers as he gives me a look then turns away and walks down the hallway. The hologram man walks me down a series of hallways and into a blank room.  
“Door open,” he commands. The door opens at the sound of his voice, he motions his hand forward telling me to go on through. I take a step into the room   
and the door closes behind me leaving me alone in a white empty room with nothing but a screen built into the wall.

“Ava Jackson, please step forward and place your right hand on the palm scanner,” a voice says breaking the silences. I open my mouth to say there is no palm scanner when something rises through the floor in the middle of the room in front of the screen. 

I walk over to the palm scanner lingering my hand on top of it. My hand begins to shake when I realize that any second I will know my future and how my life will end just so a new one can begin. I pull my hand away for a second but realize that I need to just get it over with, with a quick reaction I place my hand on the palm scanner. The scanner glows blue and makes my hand tingle. The screen in front of me glows blue and turns on.

“Ava Jackson, age eighteen born January 25, 2059 at Ten Fifteen P.M. Parents: Trisha Jackson and Dane Jackson, siblings, Jeffery Jackson and Julie Jackson, favorite activities: reading, writing, painting and soccer. Favorite subjects: English, Art, Drama, History and Psychology,” the screen says showing images of my family. An image of my father comes across the screen and brings a tear to my eye; it lingers for a second then disappears across the screen as if it never had existed in the first place. I try to pull my hand away but its as if it’s glued to the scanner.

“Please do not pull your hand away we are not done with your mapping,” the screen says. I take a deep breath as the screen goes black for a second then it lights back up. A face comes across the screen a face I have never seen, a boys face. He has short brown hair and blue eyes, he steps through the screen and walks towards me. He’s about five feet nine inches tall, handsome young man, he walks towards me and smiles at me then vanishes back into the screen where only his face stands. Luke Wells appears next to his picture, age twenty-one born March 15, 2056 occupation Officer in Lower Division lives in the Upper Division. “Hold for a second, we will reveal your occupation and how many children you will have in a second.” 

I take a deep breath as the screen readjusts and goes back to being black. Luke Wells is my husband, he is twenty-one and living in the Upper Division. I have never been anywhere other then the lower division, and I am expected to live there? That is going to be such a huge change for me, but the best has yet to come. Now comes how many kids I will have and when and my occupation and my death, this is going to be the most scariest part. I don’t want to think about when I am going to die especially how I am just turning eighteen.

The screen lights back up and a series of numbers flashes across the screen, the numbers fly across the screen making it impossible to see which numbers are which until they begin to slow down and settle on the number two. Underneath the two are ages, at the age of nineteen I will give birth to one child, a girl and at the age of twenty-three I will give birth to another child, another girl. I stop and stare at these two numbers trying to do the math, if I give birth to a child by nineteen, that means . . . I am to start trying now. My head begins to spin I want to sit down but I can’t pull my hand off the scanner.

The numbers disappear in a second and the screen changes from black to blue. A series of words soar across the screen in the same unison as the numbers had. Each word means something different; they go to quickly for me to read each and every word. The words begin to slow down making it easier to read, doctor, teacher, officer, each a different occupation. The occupations begin to slow down until it stops on one, secretary for the governor. 

Okay so I will be a secretary, that’s going to be a boring job but a job nonetheless, I could be working on the train like some people do, or in the mines, or like father, fishing boat. I’m lucky to be in a stable division with a good paying job with what looks like a gorgeous soon to be husband. Everything seems to be perfect who would ever dream of having a life like what is in front of me.

The screen changes once again, numbers and months flash in front of me rearranging into different combinations. My head continues to spin with all this information that I am receiving I just want to sit down but I know that after this second I will be able to leave, not go home but begin my life. The combinations begin to slow down until a month, day, year and time rests on the screen. A single month, a single day, a single year, and a single time that is the day, that is the month and that is the year and the time I will die. There is no explanation as to how it will happen just when. My body shakes knowing I will die on October 2, 2084 at Eleven Ten A.M, at the age of twenty-five. A tear runs down cheek and splatters to the ground, why so young. I mean, making me give birth so young and leaving my children while they’re young, why? It just doesn’t make sense.

The screen goes black and the palm scanner grows red then releases my hand. I take it pressing it against my body as if I had missed it. The door opens up behind me and the hologram man stands outside of it. He gestures for me to exit the room, it takes me a second but I follow his instructions. The door closes behind me and the man takes me into the waiting room, Melinda gets up and smiles at me but the man continues to go down the hallway. I follow behind him; I turn to see Melinda giving me a look before she follows a hologram woman into her mapping room.

The man takes me through a series of hallways and leads me into a white room. A pair of women walks out of the room and grab me pulling me into the room. The man stays outside as the door shuts behind me; the women take me over to a white table and gesture for me to climb onto it. 

“Don’t worry we just have to implant you with your microchip to identify your identity and classification. It will only hurt for a second,” the woman says. I take a deep breath and climb onto the table, I place my head down at one end and let me legs lay flat on the other side. The women press a button and my table moves, four restraints appear clasping onto my arms and legs. I try to move my legs but I am powerless, I turn my head to look at the women but they disappear, a sound rises around the room and a giant needle descends from the ceiling. I fight to move but realize it is pointless.

“Try to hold still don’t move,” one women explains. I watch as the needle moves from the ceiling and towards my face. I close my eyes as the needle touches the side of my neck, any second it will go into me and release a microchip with my classification. I don’t remember Jeffery or Jenny telling me about this, I wonder if it is new or they were afraid if they told me I might have ran away? Either way I am not prepared for this.

The needle traces down my neck until it touches a spot and jabs into me. I feel a slight pinch then it pulls out and ascends back into the ceiling, the restraints release me and the women appear back at me side.

“Told you only a pinch, now your hologram will lead you out and you may go on your way to your division,” she says.

“How will they know where I belong?” I ask.

“Your microchip will let the officers at the border know your classification, there should be no trouble getting past the two gates,” one explains.

“But exactly how will they know since the microchip is inserted into my neck?” I ask again. The two women look at each other and laugh.

“Oh you are such a naïve girl,” they say simultaneously. I give them a weird look then walk to the door where the hologram man waits for me. 

The man beings to move forwards turning down series of hallways and commands for a door to open. The door opens and he gestures for me to go through, I look at him and at the room. I take a step backwards but he gestures for me to move forward again. I want to run he cannot stop me no one can, but I have to otherwise I will be pumped with medication and end up divisonless on the street, be without a division and without a future. I step into the room and look around; a man sits in a chair with his head buried into his hands. The door closes behind me and all that separates this man and me is a single white table.

He looks up and smiles at me, I’ve seen this face before. He pushes back his chair and stands up in front of me, he wears a silver and black uniform a badge sits on top of his heart. He advances towards me not moving to quickly to startle me but enough as to where he stands in front of me in a matter of seconds. His smile is intoxicating he’s welcoming me into his life as if he has been waiting for me his entire life.

“My dear Ava, how I’ve been waiting for this day,” he says. His voice is rough when he speaks but it makes my heart skip a beat. I place a hand on his face wanting to know all his features and secrets. He smiles and leans his face into my hands.

“Luke,” is all I manage to say. He takes a step closer placing his right hand on my chin. His blue eyes dig into my soul letting me know that he has been waiting for me for years. He brings his lips down onto mine; they taste like apples, sweet but soul apples. He pulls away and stares into my green eyes.

“Oh how I longed to be with you, now that the day is here we can begin our lives together,” he says.

“But we have only just met,” I state.

“That maybe true but we have the rest of our lives to get to know each other. Now Ava, I hate to make this short but I have to get back to work. I will be home around four o’clock make yourself at home. The hover-car out front will take you to our house in the upper division. I am really sorry to have to leave you like this, but duty calls,” he says. He walks back over to the table and takes a hat off a chair placing it onto his head. The hat is solid silver with a black stripe running through it. He bends down and kisses me one more time, he opens the door and takes my hand.

“I think I will escort my bride to be to our hover-car. I don’t want you to get into the wrong car and end up at someone else’s house, that would be tragic,” he says. We exit the room climb into the elevator and wait for it to go to the first floor. My heart races as he holds onto my hand looking down upon me. My stomach tingles as butterflies fly insie of me making me nervous as I am this close to him. I have never felt this way about any body before, not even the boys I dated around at school, no one has ever made me feel this way. I feel as if we were made to be together that there is something between us that I have yet to find out, but at the same time I know everything about him. The elevator dings and the door opens in front of us.

We walk out of the elevator and into the real world. Outside the Center awaits a black hover-car, he opens the door places me inside he lingers onto the door staring at me afraid that any second I might vanish in front of his eyes. He leans into the car placing his lips onto mine not wanting to miss another second, he gives me one last farewell look then closes the door between us as if its killing him doing so. He then turns away and walks down the street I stare at him as he vanishes out of my sight beginning to miss him already but I know, I will see him again, the driver looks at me starting the car.

“Where to miss?” he asks.

“Home,” I reply. The hover-car moves into motion and goes down the direction that Luke went in, we turned a corner to head to the middle division border, I catch a glimpse of Luke as he handles a divisonless person, he looks up at the car giving me a slight wave goodbye then gets back to his work. As he vanishes my butterflies disappear only for now.


	3. Upper Division

The driver turns onto Jenson Street and towards the borderline to the Middle division. I lean against the window looking at all the broken homes as we slowly pass by, children sit outside on the sidewalk grabbing onto their stomachs. Their shirts are tattered and stained brown from the dirt. We lived okay, we were able to keep ourselves fed our clothes weren’t the best but we were able to survive. I do not remember one day where I went hungry and walked around on the street begging for food. Most the children that walk around on the streets have no where to go, there parents were killed at an early age leaving them to fend for themselves. Even if the children have brothers or sisters over the age of eighteen the kids may not live with them, it’s against the law. Anyone found harboring an orphan will be placed in jail, or worse, stripped of their district and sent to the divisionless. 

As a divisionless you roam from one district to another living off what you can, praying and hoping that someone will give you a little bit of money to go get food from the store, or give you food themselves. This does not happen a lot and when this happens, you tend to never live up to your death day; instead you perish before it arrives. This tends to not happen so much no more, people try to obey the government laws and stay within their division, but there are those who have a kind heart and cannot bare to see someone suffer.

I look away as the children look up at my hover-car, as we pass not baring to see the pain buried in their faces. The division walls come into sight, as we grow closer to the borderline, the walls are a plain gray that stretch all the way from one side of the division to the next, I don’t even know if there is even an end to the wall. We reach the gate dividing the middle and lower division, the driver rolls down his window and talks to the guard standing in the booth. 

“Where you headed?” the guard asks.

“We’re going to the Upper Division. Mapping day for this young girl and lucky her, she gets to relocate to a new division,” the driver says.

“We will need classification, we cannot just let anyone through, I hope you can understand,” the guard states.

“I would be afraid if you didn’t get classification,” the driver responds. The driver rolls up his window then mine begins to descend down. My heart begins to beat rapidly as the guard walks over to my window.

“Good afternoon madam this is just a routine check,” he says.

“I can understand this, what do you need me to do?” I ask. The guard smiles and holds up his finger telling me to wait one moment. He returns with some sort of a tablet and places it out towards me.

“If you would place your hand on the scanner and it will verify your classification then you can be on your way,” he explains. I look at him placing my hand on the scanner. The guard cannot be more then twenty years old, he stands about five feet nine inches tall with soft brown hair and dull brown eyes, he is a typical ordinary looking boy who would be hard to pick out of a group of fish. 

The palm scanner tingles underneath my hand as the screen goes from black to blue. My hand becomes stuck to it as it had back in the mapping room, the guard looks down at the screen as it continues to read my classification. After a second the scanner beeps and the blue light disappears to a black screen releasing my hand. The guard pulls the scanner out from under my hand examines it then waves to another guard in the booth. The gate moves upwards letting us into the middle division, the guard looks at me one more time then winks at me. Normally I would be very flattered at a guy being interested in me but now I have no affection to anyone else. I give the guard a slight smile before the hover-car moves into motion, I turn around to see the guard walking out behind the car and waving goodbye to me.

“Looks like someone has an admirer,” the driver says.

“He is nothing to me now, not even a blimp on my radar,” I reply.

“Isn’t that the truth madam,” the driver says. I roll up the window and lean my head against the glass. 

“Are you married?” I ask the driver.

“Yes I am,” he replies. “I’ve been married for over fifteen years.” I lean forward to get a good look at the driver but it is impossible this second.

“And you are happily married?” I ask. The driver readjusts his mirror and looks at me.

“As happy as I ever can be,” he replies. I lean back into my seat and watch as we drive through the middle division. The streets are clean no litter, no broken houses or buildings cover the ground everything is almost clean but not quite. Cars are stationed on the side of the road, older cars, the middle division still drive gasoline cars since they cannot afford the luxury of hover-cars. As we continue to drive down the street I become more aware of the surroundings, I begin to wonder which street would take me to Jeffery’s house, wonder how what his house looks like, if it is any of these we pass by.

The homes and buildings disappear and the gray wall of the border comes into sight, we drive for a long stretch with no homes, buildings not even a car in sight it’s a barren out here. A few divisionless stand out in the open with a trashcan in front of them with a lit fire, they look up as the hover-car drives by them I stare at them trying to know their story and how they became divisionless, trying to understand them. We come to the gate between the upper and middle division, the driver rolls down his window once again and talks to the guard.

“Where are you coming from?” The guard asks. Normal looking, short blonde hair and brown eyes, again I wouldn’t be able to pick this guard out of a group of fish.

“Lower division, this is one of the lucky ladies that gets to move up in class,” the driver says.

“Yeah, but you know what the means, when one moves up another must move down. I wonder which children out of the Upper Division will be moved to the lower, that will be such a shock to them,” the guard says.

“This one is about to get the shock of her life in the next few minutes,” the driver laughs. He rolls up his window then rolls down mine, the guard walks back over to his booth and grabs his palm scanner the walks over to my window.

“Afternoon ma’am we are just going to verify classification before you can move n to the upper division, just protocol as you probably noticed when you moved from the lower to middle division,” he explains.

“Of course you are just doing your job nothing wrong with that,” I reply. I stick out of my hand and place it on the palm scanner. The guard looks up at me.

“Whoever your husband is, is a lucky man to be paired with a lovely lady as yourself,” the guard replies.

“Why thank you,” I say.

“Of course, its my job to compliment everyone who comes this way. I have to say it no matter what,” he says.

“Wait what?” I ask.

“Oops, nothing I said to much. You are classified to proceed and have a lovely day,” he says walking away. My window rolls up and the gate in front of me opens, the guard walks back into the booth and makes me wonder as to what he had meant by ‘its my job to compliment everyone who comes this way’ something is not right. I take one last glance at the guard until he disappears out of sight; I turn around to see the buildings of the Uppers division approaching us.

The buildings seem to go on forever in the sky as if there is no ending to them; the sun bounces off the windows making them impossible to take my eyes off them. I have never seen such tall buildings in my life; I have never been out of the lower division until this day. 

“Welcome to your new home miss,” the driver says. We turn onto a street with lots of buildings and people walking with small dogs in front of them. All the houses on this street are two stories with a perfect front yard each house is painted white with glistening windows reflecting the sunshine. The driver pulls into a driveway the house number 1549, my new home. The hover-car’s engine comes to a stop the driver gets out of the car and opens my door. “I will be here when you need me.”

“If I go anywhere I can walk or drive myself,” I say.

“Miss there is no need. I am your personal driver I take you where ever you need to go. Mr. Luke would be very unpleased if I did not do my job. Now please let me know when you need to go to the store, Mr. Luke had mentioned earlier that you will be needing new clothes. Please proceed into the house and get familiar and when you are ready to leave I will be waiting,” he says. 

“Why can’t I drive myself?” I dare ask.

“Upper division do not drive themselves, they are escorted wherever they need to be. There are some who have the privileges in doing so, as your soon to be husband because everyday he needs to go beyond our division, those who do not work outside the division either walk or are driven. Since you do not know the division miss it is best I drive you around until you are familiar,” he explains.

“That may be best, I’d probably get lost,” I reply. He doesn’t say another word; I climb out of the car closing it behind me. I wrap my around me as I walk to the front, I turn around to see neighbors peaking out of their windows as they watch the new addition to their neighborhood walk into her home.

“Excuse me, Ma’am excuse me,” a high pitch voice speaks out. I slowly turn my head to see a short red hair women walking towards me, she’s no older then thirty-one, she wears a red suit with black high heels. Before I can fully turn around she is a few feet away from me. “Hi you must be new, my name is Olivia Jenkins and you must be Luke’s wife.”

“Soon to be wife,” I correct her. She smiles and puts her hand out for me to shake. I take her hand and shake it, “My name is Ava.”

“It is very nice to meet you Ava and I am glad to see that you have finally turned the age to receive your mapping. Luke has seemed awfully lonely here the past few years without you; now that you’re here I am sure it brightened his day today. Have you see him yet? I’m sure you have, he’s always talked about being there the day you receive your mapping, and not many guys or gals do that just because they want to come home and met them in their own privacy. May we go inside and have a little chat? I like meeting my new neighbors and finding out where they come from,” she asks. I nod and walk towards the front of the house, I take a breath placing my hand on the doorknob and pushing it open with ease. The door opens up making me lose my breath.

I take a step inside the house to see a staircase that spirals up to the second floor with tile steps, a large chandelier hangs high in the air between the door and staircase. Next to the staircase is a statue of a dolphin, there is a room connected to the right of the staircase with a large dinning table, to left is the living room with a large sofa that is black with a white carpet underneath is. We walk in together, I go into the living room to receive more of a look, a large tv is plastered to the wall hanging it in place, pictures hang on the wall ones of Luke, a picture of me from the mapping he was shown and pictures of what looks like his family. 

We go through the living room into the kitchen, the kitchen is enormous it is five times the size of my bedroom. The counters are black with white tile on the floor, a tablet rests on the counter next to the coffee pot in the kitchen, I walk over to see letters scrolling across the black screen reading: Press play when ready to view the video. I reach to press play when I forgot I am not alone, I look over at Olivia to see she has taken a seat on a stole at the counter. She makes herself comfortable and looks at me.

“Can you make a pot of coffee or tea please? I am parched that I could really use a drink,” she asks. I raise an eyebrow at her then turn toward the refrigerator, not knowing where anything is at but wanting to please her. I mean, she should know better then to ask me to get her something when I am new to this house. I grab a pitcher of something out of the fridge place it on the counter then look for a cup, I open a cabinet next to the fridge and find the cups, I take one out pour her a drink sliding the cup over to her.

“There you go,” I say. She smiles at me then takes a sip of her drink.

“Thank you, so Ava where are you from? I mean you’re from upper division correct? Your dress screams upper division,” she explains.

“Actually, I am not from the upper division,” I reply.

“Middle then?” she asks.

“No, I am actually from the lower division,” I explain. She coughs spiting some of her drink onto the counter.

“Oh my, I am sorry about that. It’s just quite a shock to hear that someone moving up from the lower division to the upper, it’s a rare occasion,” she explains. I grab a napkin from the a dispenser on the counter and clean up her mess.

‘Yes that is what I have been told, for me to move to the upper division means someone from here is going to go to the lower,” I explain.

“Yes, yes that is true. We will be losing one of our younglings soon enough. The way they judge who is moving divisions is by how well they do in school and by there activities, they monitor us our entire life and judge till we are the age of eighteen where we will be placed and where we will live,” she describes. 

“How do you know this?” I question. She leans forward onto the counter and looks me in the eye.

“Because, I work in the mapping department. As soon as someone is born we are assigned to him or her to watch their every move and watch as to how they adapt to their environment, its quite fascinating,” she says.

“What doesn’t that conflict with your death day? I mean if you are assigned to a child when they’re born you might not live to see their mapping,” I explain.

“Well my dear, its quite simple. Those who work with the government receive a longer life span than most, people in the upper division live longer then the lower division, its not often that someone in the upper division die young,” she reveals. My heart stops for a brief second when she mentions the death day knowing I die young. She looks at me and raises her eyebrow. “Are you alright my dear? Did I say something wrong?”

“No I’m sorry everything is just so new to me. Living in this life style knowing all this information. We never did discuss life outside of the house hold. It was live each day and once your mapping arrives is the day you really begin to live. That was my mother’s motto. Olivia I hate to be rude but can you come back another day? I am exhausted and I need to run into town and go shopping, I have no clothes and I want to be here when Luke arrives home from work, and possibly have dinner made for him,” I say.

“Of course my dear, if you ever need someone to talk to I am just across the street from you. Never be afraid to stop by and say hello,” she says. She climbs off the stool and walks towards the front door, I follow behind her showing her out. She opens the door takes a step out and turns around. “Ava, you maybe having mixed feelings right now and might not know why you are to feel this way all of a sudden, its all part of the mapping. Luke and you are meant to be together that is why you no longer feel any attraction to any other men, that’s because you are mapped together.”

“What do you mean?” I ask.

“Another day, once I can trust you, you will know everything. Have a wonderful day,” she says turning away from me walking towards her house. I slowly close the door behind her replaying her words through my brain as if somehow I’d decode any hidden meaning but as of now nothing makes sense. I let out a sigh then walk back to the kitchen where I pick up the tablet and press play on the screen. I put down the tablet to see a hologram of Luke stepping out of the screen onto the table.

“Afternoon my love, I am glad you have made it to the house safely. Right now there our no clothes for you to wear, so please take our credit card and go to town and buy yourself a wardrobe. I will be home shortly later, I will stop to pick up dinner for us so we can bond, I cannot wait to see you my love,” he says walking back onto the tablet. He turns around and looks at me “One last thing, beware of Olivia Jenkins, she is a chatter box and will corner you when given the chance.” His hologram disappears back into the tablet and out slides a card. 

I pull the card from the tablet to see my name written on it, expect it is not quite my name, instead of Ava Jackson it’s Ava Wells. My new name. I take the card sliding it between my bra and skin then take one last look at my beautiful home, I walk to the front of the door opening it to see the driver still there, I close the door behind me to brace the journey into town, knowing that I will be judged the entire time.


End file.
